ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · lean · charge · chest · cold · stick · chip · trunk

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cold — not warm
  3. chest — of your body
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cold — an illness
  13. chip — for betting
  14. charge — in control
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. chest — a box
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lean — thin
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. charge — a price
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com